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From the Visual Site Manager (VSM) to the Page Builder: A transition guide for administrators
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This article covers changes that the Page Builder introduces for administrators:

Topics covered here:

Introduction

With the VSM, administrators configure permissions and metadata on a unique administration page (Forge->Administration) with content configurations (like custom entities or reference fields). Instead, Page Builder provides dedicated pages (Permissions and Metadata ).

Regarding the site structure import and export, the Page Builder maintains the same experience as the VSM.

Finally, the Page Builder provides the brand new possibility to define the building blocks of the site structure: templates, layouts, and modules. A set of building blocks is known as a context.

Permissions

Since Page Builder 1.0.0 (Release notes - FORGE Q2 '24), the VSM and Page Builder have had separate permissions management.

VSM

Authorization groups definition

From Forge->Administration->CONFIGURATIONS->Access Control List, create access control permissions — each being named as name_acp.
That creates a CanOperateOn.Vsm.{name_acp} permission for each name_acp.

Authorization groups assignment

  • From GUIShell, assign CanOperateOn.Vsm.{name_acl} permissions to relevant roles. 
  • Then, assign those roles to users who must access the site structure elements that those permissions limit in visibility.

Page Builder

Definition and assignment of authorization groups

A streamlined process allows administrators to create and assign authorization groups within the same Permissions page.

Also, the Page Builder allows defining permissions at the module, layout, and template level. For example, administrators can create groups that let editorial teams see only a few modules of the page they are on.

For more information, read Permissions.

Metadata

From Page Builder 1.7.0 (planned for July '25), administrators gain a dedicated page in the Page Builder. Before Page Builder 1.7.0, administrators still define metadata in the VSM on the Forge->Administration page; those metadata are automatically available in the Page Builder.

VSM

Forge->Administration->CONFIGURATIONS->Metadata
Page Builder

Coming in July '25.

Once delivered, the Page Builder will display the metadata definition page. Currently, the metadata definition page is available only in the VSM. Both applications share the same site structure: metadata defined on the VSM is reflected in the Page Builder.

On the page and folder detail page, the Main Details tab — where to set metadata values — doesn't change behavior.

Site structure import and export

From the VSM to Page Builder, the feature's skin gets beautified, but the import and export behaviors remain the same.

VSM

Page Builder

Coming in Q3 '25.

Currently, the site structure import and export is available in the VSM and not yet in the Page Builder. Both applications share the same site structure: what editorial teams import and export on the VSM is reflected in the Page Builder.

Context ingestion

Unlike the VSM, which only lets editorial teams create pages with the built-in templates, layouts, and modules (collectively called context), the Page Builder lets administrators ingest bespoke ones.

See Add templates, modules, and layouts to pages for more details about using contexts as page types.

When creating a page in the site structure, editorial teams select which context they will use by choosing the Page Type. This choice cannot change once the page is created.

In the example below, by choosing the Deltatre Page Type, editorial teams get the set of templates, layouts, and modules that administrators ingested in the Deltatre context.

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